BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth最新文献

Background: It is challenging for mothers who give birth very preterm to produce sufficient breast milk by expressing for weeks before their baby is able to feed from the breast, and then to transition from tube feeding to breastfeeding. Lactation is most successful when stimulated shortly after birth, established within 72 h, and maintained by expressing 6-8 times a day. This study explored mothers' experiences of how breast milk feeding and breastfeeding for very preterm babies can be supported by staff and the facilities of a neonatal unit.

Methods: Twenty-three mothers of very preterm babies were interviewed, from four neonatal units in England with high or low rates of breast milk feeding at discharge. Interviews were analysed using the COM-B framework to consider how mothers' behaviour (breast milk feeding and breastfeeding) is affected by capability, opportunity and motivation.

Results: Mothers' motivation in the traumatic situation of very preterm birth was strongly affected by information from staff about the benefits of breast milk for their baby, the importance of early and frequent expressing, and how to assess the effectiveness of direct breastfeeding. It was maintained through positive feedback about their efforts which built their confidence, and reassurance about what is 'normal' growth when a baby begins direct breastfeeding. Motivation needed to be supported by opportunity, including access to equipment for expressing and facilities to stay near the neonatal unit, and also by capability, which required proactive and skilled information and support from staff. Specialist support and facilities varied between units, and some mothers were not given necessary information or had their motivation undermined by staff comments.

Conclusions: Interventions to increase breast milk feeding and breastfeeding for very preterm babies should address mothers' motivation, capability and opportunity, aiming for systematic elimination of obstacles. Mothers value personalised and skilled specialist support, but also need other staff to be able to give consistent information and affirmation focused on their efforts rather than their success, with a trauma-informed approach. Investing in rooming-in facilities that minimise the separation of mothers and babies is likely to overcome a key obstacle.

Objective: Analyze the ultrasound findings, single nucleotide polymorphism array (SNP-array) results, and pregnancy outcomes of fetuses with 7q11.23 deletions and duplications in the second and third trimesters. Investigate the prenatal ultrasound characteristics and follow up information of these fetuses.

Methods: Seven fetuses were diagnosed with 7q11.23 deletion and six with 7q11.23 duplication via SNP-array at the prenatal diagnosis center of a single Chinese tertiary medical center from January 2017 to May 2024. Maternal demographics, ultrasound findings, SNP-array results, pregnancy outcomes, and follow-up information were comprehensively reviewed and analyzed.

Results: The copy number variations (CNVs) ranged from 1.43 Mb to 1.78 Mb in cases of 7q11.23 deletions and from 1.42 Mb to 1.68 Mb in cases of 7q11.23 duplications. These CNVs encompassed 29 OMIM-listed genes, including ELN, DNAJC30, GTF2IRD1, and GTF2I. Among the seven cases of 7q11.23 deletion syndrome, six exhibited ultrasound abnormalities. The main clinical phenotypes included three cases of intrauterine growth restriction and four cases of cardiovascular system abnormalities, specifically two cases with ventricular septal defects, one case with aortic narrowing, and one case with supravalvular pulmonary stenosis. One case was particularly notable, exhibiting complex multi-organ structural malformations. Out of six cases of 7q11.23 duplication syndrome, five exhibited ultrasound abnormalities. These included two cases of cardiovascular abnormalities: one case with a widened left ventricle and another case with a shortened fetal humerus length. One case revealed complex multi-organ structural malformations, including hydronephrosis, a microgallbladder, and a cleft lip and palate. All seven cases of 7q11.23 deletions and three cases of 7q11.23 duplications opted for termination of the pregnancy. The remaining three cases of 7q11.23 duplications chose to continue the pregnancy. One case underwent surgical treatment for a ventricular septal defect after birth, and the prognosis was favorable. Another case involved a full-term delivery, this child was followed up at the age of 4 and exhibited a phenotype of poor language expression ability.

Conclusion: Our study broadened the clinical phenotype spectrum of fetuses with 7q11.23 deletions and duplications. Additionally, it conducted a preliminary evaluation of prenatal ultrasound findings and postnatal clinical phenotypes in follow-up cases. The clinical phenotype of fetuses with 7q11.23 deletion and duplication syndromes involves multiple systems and is relatively complex. Cardiovascular abnormalities and intrauterine growth restriction are the most common clinical manifestations observed in prenatal 7q11.23 deletion syndrome. Fetuses with 7q11.23 duplications exhibit a wide range of clinical phenotypes that lack specificity.

Background: Vaginal Birth after Cesarean Birth (VBAC) is a birth mode recommended for reducing repeat cesarean which potentially contributes to adverse outcomes. However, VBAC is not normally practiced in some countries. Providers are an important part of the decision-making process on modes of birth among pregnant individuals. Providers' perspective on VBAC can influence whether they support or avoid conducting VBAC. This review aimed to explore providers' perspective on VBAC.

Methods: The comprehensive search was conducted from six databases including PubMed, MEDLINE, Scopus, Cochrane Library, EMBASE, and Google scholar. The studies published in English between 2013 and 2023 were review. The Medical Subject Heading terms for VBAC and perspective were used to search. The eligible studies were selected by the PRISMA flow chart. The initial search yielded 558 articles. After excluding duplicates, articles not retrieved for full-text, and not meeting inclusion and exclusion criteria, eight articles were recruited. Quality appraisal of the studies was performed by the tool of the Joanna Briggs Institute. The meta-aggregation approach was applied to synthesize the findings.

Results: Eight qualitative articles were included in this review, and six themes were developed including (1) different recognition of VBAC, (2) differences of willingness level of conducting Trial of Labor after Cesarean (TOLAC) (the approach attempting to have VBAC), (3) skills and resources needed when performing TOLAC, (4) protocol for recruiting candidacy and TOLAC management, (5) final decision making on VBAC, and (6) onset and duration of providing TOLAC information.

Conclusion: Providers play an important role in influencing individuals' decision on modes of birth. Providers' positive recognition and willingness of conducting TOLAC potentially impact successful VBAC rate. However, the lawsuit caused by adverse outcomes from TOLAC/VBAC is a main reason for choosing repeat cesarean.

Trial registration: PROSPERO registration number of this systematic review: CRD42023427662.

Background: Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is the most common metabolic disorder in pregnancy and later is associated with an increased risk of type 2 diabetes and other metabolic disorders. Consistent and evidence based postnatal care is key to improving maternal long-term health. We therefore aimed to review and compare recommendations of national and international clinical practice guidelines (CPG) for postnatal care after GDM and identify any evidence gaps in recommendations needing further research.

Methods: We searched five databases and forty professional organization websites for CPGs providing recommendations for postnatal care after GDM. CPGs which had full versions in English, endorsed, prepared, or authorized by a professional body, and published between 2013 and 2023 were eligible for inclusion. Two reviewers independently screened the articles, extracted the recommendations, and appraised the included CPGs using the Appraisal of Guidelines, Research, and Evaluation (AGREE) II tool.

Results: Twenty-six CPGs from 22 countries were included. Twelve CPGs (46%) were appraised as low quality with the lowest scoring domains being rigor of development and editorial independence. We found little high certainty evidence for most recommendations and few recommendations were made for maternal mental health and postpartum metabolic screening. Evidence gaps pertained to postpartum glucose screening, including frequency, tests, and ways to improve uptake, evaluation of effective uptake of lifestyle interventions, and ongoing long-term follow up care.

Conclusions: Most of the postnatal care recommendations in GDM guidelines are not based on high certainty evidence. Further efforts are needed to improve the global evidence base for postnatal care after GDM to improve long-term maternal health.

Protocol registration: This review was registered in PROSEPRO (CRD42023454900).

Background: Fetal growth monitoring is important for twin pregnancies. However, there has been no clinically validated tool for monitoring fetal growth of twin pregnancies in China. This study aims to develop and validate a chorionicity-specific growth chart of ultrasound estimated fetal weight (EFW) for Chinese twin pregnancies.

Methods: This retrospective cohort study included all twin pregnancies who delivered two live fetuses with gestational age ≥ 34 weeks without severe obstetric complications at a tertiary hospital from January 2007 to March 2021. The participants were divided into a development set (delivered in or before December 2017) and a validation set (delivered in or after January 2018). Chorionicity-specific growth charts were created using the generalized additive models for location, scale, and shape (GAMLSS) based on the development set. The fetuses from the validation set were classified into three groups based on the last EFW: small-for-gestational-age (SGA) indicated by both the newly established twin charts and the Hadlock singleton chart currently used for twin pregnancies in China, suspected SGA indicated by only the singleton chart, and no SGA indicated by either chart. The incidence of neonatal outcomes among the three groups was then compared accordingly, including intensive care unit (NICU) stay length, respiratory diseases, and neurological disorders.

Results: The development set included 883 twin pregnancies and a total of 6374 EFW measurements between 16 and 38 weeks of gestation, and the validation set included 801 twin pregnancies and 7630 EFW measurements. In the development set, monochorionic diamniotic (MCDA) twins had a significantly lower EFW compared to dichorionic diamniotic (DCDA) twins beginning at 26 weeks, with the difference gradually increasing thereafter, supporting the establishment of chorionicity-specific growth charts. Of the 1,602 twin neonates in the validation set, 103 (6.4%) were classified into the SGA group, 164 (10.2%) into the suspected SGA group, and 1335 (83.3%) into the no SGA group. The incidence of respiratory diseases and neurological disorders was comparable between the suspected SGA group and the no SGA group, but apparently higher in the SGA group. Meanwhile, NICU stay lengths were consistently longer for twins in the SGA group compared to the no SGA group (difference: 0.57, 95% CI: 0.31-0.83), with no significant differences observed between the suspected SGA and no SGA groups.

Conclusions: The fetal growth trajectories differed by chorionicity, with a lower EFW for MCDA twins beginning at 26 weeks. The establishment of chorionicity-specific growth chart could reduce overdiagnosis of SGA and improve fetal growth monitoring of twin pregnancies.

Objective: Thrombophilia screening has been performed in patients with conditions such as previous fetal death, (fetal growth restriction) FGR, preeclampsia, (hemolysis. elevated liver enzyme, low platelet count) HELLP Syndrome, previous abruptio placentae, previous thrombosis in pregnancy, and abnormal placental histology. The actual role of hereditary thrombophilia in recurrent pregnancy loss (RPL) is still debated. This study was intended to determine the incidence of specific gene defects for hereditary thrombophilia and to ascertain their impact on RPL in central Anatolia in Turkey.

Methods: This retrospective cohort study was performed between January 2012 and December 2022. All pregnant women with a complete hereditary screening profile were included. The investigated gene polymorphisms were methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) C677T, MTHFR A1298C, Factor V Leiden G1691A, and Factor II prothrombin G20210A. Cases of pregnant women at least two or more consecutive pregnancy losses before 22 weeks of gestation were defined as RPL. The rates of genetic screening and their association with RPL were analyzed.

Results: RPL was identified in 224 (27.58%) of the 812 pregnant women with complete genetic screening. Although there was no difference in terms of age, body mass index, numbers of ectopic pregnancies, molar pregnancies, or dilatation & curettage (p > 0.05), gravity (2.0 [2.0-3.0] vs. 4.0 [3.0-5.0]), parity (1.0 [1.0-2.0] vs. 1.0 [0-1.0]), live birth (1.0 [1.0-2.0] vs. 1.0 [0-1.0]), anembryonic pregnancy (0 [0-0] vs. 0 [0-0]), miscarriage (0 [0-1.0] vs. 3.0 [2.0-3.0]), and stillbirth (0 [0-0] vs. 0 [0-0]) numbers differed significantly between the groups (p < 0.05). While no significant differences were determined in MTHFR A1298C, Factor V Leiden, factor II prothrombin G20210A, or homocysteine levels (p > 0.05), the homozygous MTHFR C677T positivity rates differed significantly (6.3% in the non-RPL group vs. 11.6% in the RPL group, p = 0.027) .

Conclusion: The homozygous MTHFR C677T polymorphisms was found to be more frequent in women with RPL. Further studies with larger cohorts are needed to confirm our results.

Background: Cesarean scar pregnancy (CSP), the incidence of which is increasing, can lead to life-threatening consequences. In this study, it was aimed to compare the results of two different ultrasound-assisted suction curettage (SC) approaches that we applied to endogenous type CSPs in different time periods.

Methods: Patients who were diagnosed with CSP and treated with SC in the early pregnancy service between January 2012 and March 2019 were included in the study. While classical SC was applied until December 2016, patients were treated with SC modified by us after this date. Demographic characteristics, preoperative clinical findings, intraoperative characteristics and postoperative short-term follow-up of these two groups of patients belonging to different time periods were compared.

Results: 34 patients were treated with classic SC (Group 1) and 32 patients with modified SC (Group 2). The amount of decrease in Hemoglobin values measured at the sixth hour postoperatively compared to the preoperative period was found to be less in group 2 (1.01 ± 0.67 g/dl) than in group 1 (1.39 ± 0.85 g/dl) (p = 0.042). The treatment failure rate was found to be lower in group 2 (p = 0.028). According to the results of multiple logistic regression analysis of significant factors associated with treatment outcome, myometrial thickness measurement and the largest gestational diameter measurement were found to be significant independent factors.

Conclusion: In CSP cases, SC procedure with abdominal ultrasonography is an effective and reliable approach. At the beginning of this surgical procedure, if the gestational sac is removed from the uterine wall with the curettage cannula before suction, the success of the procedure will increase even more.

Background: High rates of adverse neonatal outcomes in resource-limited settings are multifactorial, varying by country, region, and institution. In sub-Saharan Africa, the majority of adverse neonatal outcomes are intrapartum related, and studies in Uganda have shown that referral in labor is a major determinant of adverse neonatal outcomes. This study aimed to assess the incidence and factors associated with immediate adverse neonatal outcomes among emergency obstetric referrals in labor at a tertiary hospital in Eastern Uganda.

Materials and methods: This was a prospective cohort study involving 265 women who were referred in labor to Jinja Regional Referral Hospital in Uganda with emergency obstetric complications. The exposure of interest was being referred with obstetrical emergency, and the outcome variable was adverse neonatal outcomes. The study was conducted between July 5, 2023, and October 5, 2023. Consecutive sampling was used, and data on sociodemographic and obstetric factors, referral related factors, as well as the primary outcome variable (adverse neonatal outcome) were collected via interviewer-administered questionnaires. The data were then cleaned, coded, and analyzed using STATA version 14. Log-binomial regression determined risk ratios and associations for factors related to adverse neonatal outcomes. Variables with p-values < 0.2 in bivariable analysis were included in the multivariable analysis, where significance was set at p < 0.05.

Results: Of the 265 women exposed to emergency obstetrical referrals, 40% experienced adverse neonatal outcomes, a composite measure including neonatal intensive care admission (27.6%), low Apgar score (23.8%), fresh stillbirth (11.3%), early-onset neonatal infection (6.8%), and early neonatal death (2.3%). Factors significantly associated with adverse neonatal outcomes were; maternal age ≥ 35 years (aRR = 1.72, CI:1.194-2.477, p value = 0.004), APH (aRR = 2.48, CI: 1.859-3.311, p-value < 0.001), and non-reassuring fetal status (aRR = 1.90, CI: 1.394-2.584, p-value < 0.001).

Conclusions: The study found a high rate of adverse neonatal outcomes among emergency obstetric referrals, with 40% of participants facing issues like ICU admissions, low Apgar scores and fresh stillbirth. Key factors included maternal age over 35, antepartum hemorrhage, and non-reassuring fetal status. These results highlight the urgent need for targeted interventions in emergency obstetric care. Strategies should enhance referral systems, improve facility preparedness, train healthcare providers, and educate communities on timely referrals and managing high-risk pregnancies.

Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is the first spontaneous hyperglycemia during pregnancy. Early diagnosis and intervention are important for the management of the disease. This study compared and analyzed the proteins of total plasma exosomes (T-EXO) and placental-derived exosomes (PLAP-EXO) in pregnant women who subsequently developed GDM (12-16 weeks), GDM patients (24-28 weeks) and their corresponding controls to investigate the pathogenesis and biomarkers of GDM associated with exosomes. The exosomal proteins were extracted and studied by proteomics approach, then bioinformatics analysis was applied to the differentially expressed proteins (DEPs) between the groups. At 12-16 and 24-28 weeks of gestation, 36 and 21 DEPs were identified in T-EXO, while 34 and 20 DEPs were identified in PLAP-EXO between GDM and controls, respectively. These proteins are mainly involved in complement pathways, immunity, inflammation, coagulation and other pathways, most of them have been previously reported as blood or exosomal proteins associated with GDM. The findings suggest that the development of GDM is a progressive process and that early changes promote the development of the disease. Maternal and placental factors play a key role in the pathogenesis of GDM. These proteins especially Hub proteins have the potential to become predictive and diagnostic biomarkers for GDM.

Background: Preterm birth (PTB), complications of which account for approximately 35% of deaths among neonates, remains a crucial issue. Cervical insufficiency (CI) is defined as the inability of the utrine cervix to retain a pregnancy, leading to PTB. Cervical cerclage is an efficient surgery for CI patients by preventing the cervix from being further mechanically shortened. Unfortunately, a certain number of patients who had cerclage still delivered prematurely, raising the urgent need to accurately assess the risk of PTB in patients with cerclage. Uterine electromyography (uEMG) is an emerging technology that characterizes uterine contractions by describing the actual evolution process of uterine activity and has been used to predict PTB in recent years.

Method: In this single-center retrospective case-control study, singleton pregnancy women who received cervical cerclage and uEMG assessment between January 2018 and January 2022 at the Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University were enrolled.

Results: 32 PTBs were observed of the 69 women who underwent assessment. Based on multivariate logistic regression analysis, PTB after cerclage was significantly associated with previous PTB history or mid-trimester pregnancy loss (OR: 2.87, 95%CI: 1.49-5.54) and contraction frequency detected by uEMG (OR: 2.24, 95%CI: 1.44-3.49). The AUC of contraction frequency (0.766, P<0.001) was observed, and the optimal cut-off value suggested by Youden Index was 1.75 times per hour. Combined with previous preterm history and cervical length, the AUC of contraction frequency reached 0.858. After stratification by contraction frequency, the median duration was 11 weeks in the high frequency group (> 1.75 times per hour) and 15 weeks in the low frequency group (≤ 1.75 times per hour) (P<0.001).

Conclusions: The uEMG effectively predicts PTB after transvaginal cervical cerclage and provides a new method for clinicians to evaluate the pregnancy outcome of CI patients.